2 Bridgewater Students Win National Merit $2,500 Scholarship

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Two Bridgewater students have been named winners of the 2024 National Merit $2,500 Scholarship. The merit scholar winners, announced Wednesday, were among 2,500 winners nationwide and were selected from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists.

"National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors," the National Merit Scholarship Corporation said in a release.

Here are the winners from Bridgewater:

Evan Xie

• Probable career field: Applied Mathematics
• School: Pingry School

Vanshika Yadav

• Probable career field: Business
• School: Bridgewater-Raritan H.S.

The judges looked at grades, difficulty of courses, standardized test scores, contributions and leadership both in school and in the community, an essay and a recommendation from a high school official.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation will also announce college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards on June 5 and July 15.

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